Wellesley Then & Now talk slated for May 4

Wellesley Historical Society Curator Kathleen Fahey will present a brand new version of her comparison of Wellesley today with the much smaller and rural Wellesley of 100 years ago, at Wellesley Free Library on Thursday, May 4 at 7pm. She will use a combination of modern photographs and older ones from the Society’s archives to show how the town has changed over the years. Topics include the Sullivan Mills in Lower Falls, the long history of Walnut Street fire station, and a whimsical tea room in Wellesley Square.

The original part of the DeFazio block was built c.1890 to house the Wellesley Hills Post Office and is still standing today on Washington Street. Seen here, c. 1910, a customer is standing next to Salvatore DeFazio, owner of S. DeFazio, grocer, and his son, Mario, sitting comfortably in a wagon used to deliver groceries. The history of the DeFazio Block will be discussed at Wellesley Historical Society’s upcoming lecture, “Wellesley – Then and Now” (Photo via Wellesley Historical Society)